1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a traction device for surgery and more particularly to a traction device which is mounted at one side of a surgical table and which includes at least one line or cable which is attached to a limb of the patient undergoing surgery. Even more particularly, the invention includes a winch-like device for applying variable amounts of traction force to the cable. Even more particularly, the invention includes a tension meter which is operatively attached to the traction cable for sensing the amount of traction force in the traction cable.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traction devices such as those illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,616,637; 4,930,523; and 5,961,512 are commonly used to apply traction to a person's shoulder during surgery thereof. All of the devices of the above-identified patents involve the use of weights which hang from the end of a traction cable or the like which is operatively connected to the patient's arm to apply traction to the patient's shoulder. Usually, those weights hang from the traction cable at a location near the surgical table. Frequently, the hanging weights are “bumped” by a member of the medical staff which creates a significant effect on the traction cable. Further, the amount of traction force in the traction cable or cables can only be adjusted by the addition or removal of weights suspended from the traction cable. The weights themselves are inconvenient to store.
Additionally, the supporting framework of the traction devices of the prior art are normally quite cumbersome and involve many component parts. Further, the supporting framework of the prior art devices do not lend themselves to proper orientation thereof with respect to the patient and are not believed to be able to apply different amounts of traction force to different parts of the arm or limb to which traction is being applied.